---
id: "CVE-2016-20103"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2016-20103"]
title: "WordPress Cherry Plugin: unauthenticated file download reads wp-config.php"
severity: "high"
cvss: 8.7
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["package", "self-hosted", "wordpress"]
not_affected_if: ["plugin-not-installed", "version-1.2.7-or-later"]
published_at: "2026-10-20T21:17:14+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T22:37:15+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-20103", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00"}]
---

# WordPress Cherry Plugin: unauthenticated file download reads wp-config.php

Cherry Plugin for WordPress before 1.2.7 passes the 'file' parameter straight to readfile(), so anyone can request arbitrary server files with path traversal. An attacker can read wp-config.php and obtain database credentials without logging in.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

Check whether the Cherry Plugin is installed and its version is below 1.2.7 (for example, look in wp-content/plugins/ for a cherry directory and its plugin header).
Review web server logs for GET requests to /admin/import-export/download-content.php containing '../'.

## Fix

Update Cherry Plugin to 1.2.7 or later, or remove the plugin.
If exposed, rotate database credentials and any secrets stored in wp-config.php.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-20103

## From the sources

Cherry Plugin for WordPress before 1.2.7 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to download arbitrary files via the 'file' parameter. Attackers can send GET requests to /admin/import-export/download-content.php with traversal sequences like ../../../../../wp-config.php to read database credentials, since the script passes input directly to readfile(). Exploitation evidence was first observed by the Shadowserver Foundation on 2023-10-19.

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